I own it... if you are looking for insight into the natural sciences then Voyage of the Beagle is not for you. Itss more of a travel book really, describing the places he went, the things he saw, the people he met, etc. I decided to read it before his other works just to get an idea of what the experiences were that lead up to his other books. Honestly, its a bit boring and you don't need to read it to understand and enjoy his other work.